Playing With Fire
by kittykatrocks12
Summary: Antonio finds a strange 'rock' while exploring. Who knew that 'rock' and what was inside would change his life forever.


The smooth, heavy, pale red 'rock' that Antonio found that day, had split that evening. It was a crazy thing considering anyone who had never had a run in with a dragon egg would have no idea what was going on.

There was a small scratching sound from the inside, paired with a slight screech of sorts. It seemed as if something was in there and whatever is in there seems to be unable to get out.

Antonio stares down at the 'rock' as it rolls back and forth on the floor. He needs to do something but he doesn't know what to do. He looks around his room, trying to find something to help. His eyes land on his desk. Maybe it was like cracking and egg open in the kitchen. He picks it up and it begins shaking more. He moves so he is sitting in front of his desk so that whatever is inside the 'rock' will fall on his lap since his desk isn't very tall. He lifts it and gently taps it on the edge of the desk as he prays this will work and not hurt whatever is inside.

The thing that's in the egg momentarily stops making noise when Antonio first taps it on the edge of his desk. But then it starts back up, the small screeching more frequent than before along with the scratching. It continues until the egg finally breaks and a reddish brown creature topples out, sprawling across Antonio's lap with a small squawk of surprise.

He lays there for a few seconds, seemingly stunned before attempting to get up, shaking himself out, letting his small wings extend and his tail whacks Antonio on the leg with a soft _'whomp'_

Antonio looks down and his eyes widen at the small creature on his lap. He blinks several times to make sure he isn't imagining things. In his mind it is both cute and scary since it is a dragon and dragons are supposed to be extinct. He drops the two halves of what he now knows is an egg and reaches to gently brush his finger along the dragons back.

He gives a small, curious coo when he feels something on his back. He turns his head, looking to see what it is. He whips around quickly, grabbing onto Antonio's finger with his mouth, small teeth clamping down with a soft growl.

Antonio squeals in surprise and pain then immediately covers his mouth and looks to the door. He waits to see if he hears hiss mothers footsteps. When nothing happens he looks down at the little dragon which is still holding his finger. It really hurts and he can feel blood coming out of the wound. He whimpers not knowing what to do and too scared to try and touch it.

"Please let go, it really hurts" he whispers, trying to stay calm

The small dragon releases Antonio's finger when he speaks, big hazel eyes looking at the human curiously before turning around, trying to climb up onto the desk. His little claws scratched at the wood, his wings flapping a bit rapidly to try and get himself up there.

Antonio smiles when his finger is released. He soon becomes alarmed at the noises the dragon is making. He glances at his door slightly panicked before picking up the dragon, being careful of its mouth and not touching it with his bloody finger. He stands and places it on the desk. He pulls out the chair and it about to sit down when he feels a sting in his finger making him remember his injury.

'How am I supposed to get the bandages? I can't leave this little guy alone' He wonders, wrapping his finger in the hem of his shirt to try and stop the bleeding

The small dragon gives a small screech at being picked up so suddenly but quiets when he's set on the desk. He gives a soft huff of indignation as if he didn't appreciate being helped like that. But then he starts to sniff around the desk, moving around a bit before plopping down, big hazel eyes staring at Antonio as if questioning 'what now?'

Antonio stares down at the dragon, unsure what to do. He doesn't know how to take care of a pet other than a cat he had when he was a kid. How in the world is he supposed to take care of a dragon when they are supposed to be extinct? He sits in the chair, trying to ignore the pain in his finger.

The dragon gives a soft huff, watching Antonio for a moment longer before something strange began to happen. The dragon begins to glow slightly, shrinking a bit, the serpentine body becoming upright. And then the light fades, leaving a human boy sitting on the desk. In the place of the dragon, a reddish-brown haired lad - no more than 8 at the looks of it - is sitting there, clothed in weird looking red clothes that are quite similar to the look of the scales the dragon had. Hazel eyes are staring at Antonio, a frown on his face. A curl sticks out from the front of his hair and he looks to be a normal boy...if it were not for the wings on his back, the tail coming from his backside and the long dragon ears that took the place of normal human ears. He watches Antonio for a few more moments before speaking.

"So you're the bastard that hatched me? You find a dragon egg, hatch it and you have no idea what to do after?"

When he speaks, it's easy to see that he doesn't have human teeth either but he instead has sharp, serrated teeth like the young dragon did.

Antonio almost falls out of his chair. Instead he cries out in surprise and stands, making the chair fall over. He stares at the boy until the sound of footsteps makes him freeze.

"Antonio?" his mother calls, nearing his room

He looks at the boy and in a panic he scoops him in his arms and rushes over to the bed and shoves him under the pile of blankets. Just as he pats them down the door opens and his mother steps in.

"Antonio, what wrong?" she asks

"Nothing mama, I..." he glances at the fallen chair "I fell asleep at my desk and thought I should lay down for a nap"

His mother stares at him confused then nods.

"Alright, try not to sleep too long, I will call you when lunch is ready"

Antonio watches as she closes the door and listens to the retreating footsteps. Once they are gone he sighs in relief.

The boy almost protests when he's suddenly shoved under the blankets but says nothing when he hears the footsteps, listening quietly. He vaguely wonders what a 'mama' is when Antonio says it but his thoughts go no further when he hears the word 'lunch'. Even being just a hatchling, he knows what lunch means. It means food and he's starving at this point.

As soon as 'mama' leaves, the boy bursts out from underneath the blankets, shooting a glare at Antonio, lashing his tail briefly behind himself, knocking a few pillows off the bed by accident.

"I'm hungry. Get me some food." he says, folding his arms over his chest.

Antonio almost jumps on the boy as he covers his mouth.

"Please be quiet, I'll do whatever you want just please be silent" he pleads

The boy lets out a muffled sound of surprise when Antonio did that, looking up at him, blinking in confusion. But he falls silent and nods after a few moments, hoping that by complying, he'll get food.

Antonio sighs with relief knowing the boy will comply. He looks at him and smiles.

"If you want food I have just the thing for you"

He walks over to a blanket he keeps by the window.

"Mama doesn't like it when I keep food in my room but sometimes I can't help it"

He removes the blanket revealing a crate of bright red tomatoes. He picks up the crate and carries it to the bed.

"I hope you like them"

"Tomatoes?" the boy looks at Antonio with a raised eyebrow. "You keep tomatoes in your nesting area? ...you're weird"

He scoffs softly before looking at the tomatoes. The dragon part of him had been hoping for something more on the meat side but food was food at this point.

With a soft glow, the boy disappears, replaced by the dragon creature again. The small dragon looks at Antonio once more, this time a bit warily, as if the human is going to take the food back without warning, before he quickly snatches up a tomato with a clawed paw, burrowing under the blankets to eat it in hiding.

Antonio blinks when he changes back into a dragon but smiles when he takes a tomato. He places the crate on the bed then looks at his finger. The bleeding stopped but it still hurts.

"I am going to leave these here for you, please don't leave the room or let yourself be seen, I need to go bandage my finger"

The dragon hears him but pays him no mind at the moment, digging into the tomato hungrily. He knows he needs a lot of food, especially coming right out of the egg.

Antonio goes to the door. He gives the dragon hidden under the blankets on last glance before sneaking out of his room. Thankfully the bathroom isn't far and he quickly pulls out the first aid kit. It isn't easy to bandage his finger with one hand but he manages and puts the kit away before hurrying back to his room.

Just as Antonio comes back in to the room, the dragons is disappearing under the covers again, four tomatoes already eaten, working on his fifth. He tenses when he hears someone coming back into the room, stilling for a moment before recognizing the presence as that one that hatched him from the egg. He goes back to eating his tomato, finding himself to like the taste.

Antonio chuckles at the sight of the half empty crate.

"I see you like them" he says, kneeling beside the bed

He can feel his hand twitching. He really want to pet it and know what the scales feel like but he is afraid to get bitten again.

"I wonder what your scales feel like" He mumbles

The small dragon hears Antonio's words, giving a soft snort at the mention of the tomatoes, still eating. But when Antonio talks about his scales, he pauses, considering something before he finishes the rest of his tomato. He then cautiously pokes his head out, eyes looking directly to Antonio, staying focused on him as he slowly comes out from underneath the covers.

Antonio stares back at the dragon. He can feel some sort of connection but he can't tell what kind. He tilts his head in confusion.

"Is there something you need?" he asks

He creeps forward, dipping his head low. He gave a soft sound in his throat, allowing the boy to touch him if he wants to. He figures that it would be an even exchange for feeding him and hatching him.

Antonio blinks in confusion. It takes a second for him to understand. When he does he slowly reaches his uninjured hand forward and brushes it along the dragons head. The scales are smooth and he can feel each one. They are cool while the dragons body itself is warm. He moves his hand to rub behind the creatures' ear, something he did when he had the cat.

At that touch behind his ears, the dragon perks up, giving a soft rumbling sound in his throat that sounds a lot like a purr, hazel eyes closing in content. His tail twitches behind him and his wings spread out slightly.

Antonio smiles when he sees that the dragon in enjoying it. He shuffles closer and uses one hand to rub behind the ear the other rubs along the back.

The dragon arches his spine in response to the rubbing, his wings stretching a bit more. His purring increases, stretching out his lithe body.

Antonio grins, liking the reaction. He carefully brushes his finger against the wing .It feels like leather but more smooth.

He opens one eye when he feels a finger against his wing. He quietly observes, extending his wing fully to allow the human full access to his wing.

Antonio moves until he is up against the bed. He moves his hands along the dragons' body, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"You're so soft, I want to hug you"

The small dragon gives a soft snort, opening his other eye. He doesn't exactly want a hug from the human. He doesn't understand why the human is so happy.

It takes all of Antonio's will power not to pull the small creature into a hug. He may not be good at sensing the mood but he can see that if he goes too far he will get hurt and that the last thing he wants. He wraps his hands around it and carefully lifts it, wanting to see how heavy it is.

He lets out a soft squawk of surprise when he's lifted, not expecting being picked up so suddenly. His clawed paws rest on Antonio's forearm, gripping without digging the points into the skin. His weight is very similar to a cat's as is his behavior to being picked up.

When Antonio feels the claws on his arm he half expects the dragon to claw at it but when nothing happens he sighs with relief.

"You're so light" Antonio says lifting the creature up and down "I expected you to be heavier"

At that, the dragon hisses, whacking Antonio with one of his wings at the 'heavier' comment

Antonio yelps and drops the dragon. He hold his forearm where he was hit. It isn't bad, just a red mark on his arm that will quickly fade away.

"If you keep hitting me like that I will be covered in bruises by the end of the day" he says pouting

He just snorts, a bit of smoke coming out of his nostrils before he climbs into the tomato crate, grabbing another.

Antonio waves away the smoke and looks down at the dragon. In the crate there are only a couple tomatoes left.

"I wonder how much dragons eat?" he wonders aloud

The dragon changes back into a human once he climbs out of the crate, tomato in hand.

"Depends on how much energy we use." he responds, biting into the tomato

Antonio yelps falling back on his butt.

"W-What do you mean?" he asks

The human dragon rolls his eyes, swallowing his bite before responding,

"If I fly, I use energy. If I blow fire, I use energy. And so on. It's like you humans; the more you work, the more energy you use up, the hungrier you are."

"I see..."

Antonio looks around awkwardly before looking back at the dragon boy.

'How am I supposed to keep him hidden from my mother?' he thinks, his brows furrowing in thought

The small dragon boy continues to eat the tomatoes, not seeming to notice Antonio's inner dilemma.

A knock on the door makes Antonio jump. He grabs the dragon boy and shoves him under the covers as the door opens.

"Antonio, lunch is ready" his mother says

"Okay mama, I'll be there in a minute"

The dragon boy squawks in surprise at suddenly being grabbed and shoved under the covers but he quiets when the door opens, remaining still.

Antonio waits until his mother is gone, leaving the door open. He sighs with relief and looks at the blanket. He lifts part of it so he can look at the creature underneath.

"I'm sorry little guy but I have to go, I promise I will be back as soon as I can so please stay in my room and don't make too much noise"

His eyes are pleading as his mind wonders what his mother will think if she finds a dragon in his room. Hoping the dragon understands he stands up and walks to the door. He glances back before walking out and closing the door.

He watches Antonio leave, his head poking out from under the blanket. Oddly, when the human is out of sight, he feels a bit...lonely. He sits there for a few moments, a soft whining noise coming from his throat. But the noise quickly dies and he changes back into his dragon form, eating up the rest of the tomatoes before trying to pick up the crate to move it off the bed, trying to be a bit of a help by moving it off the bed and back to where it had been.

Unfortunately, he doesn't count on the crate being about the same weight as him. So when he attempts to pull the crate off the bed, it falls to the ground with a clatter. He stares at it with wide eyes before looking to the door, hoping that no one was coming. After a moment, he quietly hops down, looking at the crate. It looks about the right size for a nest...

Instinct kicking in, he immediately has a desire to make himself a nest to keep himself safe. He grabs a blanket from Antonio's bed, pulling it off with some difficulty, plopping it in the crate, trying to stuff it in there.

Antonio walks into the dining room where his mother had laid out lunch and is sitting.

"It looks delicious mama" he says siting down

"Thank you sweetie"

Antonio digs in, hoping to finish quickly and get back to the dragon. The sound of a clatter makes him freeze.

"Did you hear that?" his mother asks

"No, it might have been something rolling across the roof" he says, ignoring his contradictory statement

His mother nods and returns to eating and Antonio does a small sigh in relief. Once he is finished eating he thanks his mother and gives her quick kiss on the cheek before almost running back to his room. He walks in and closes the door. He turns to see the dragon boy pulling a blanket into the crate the tomatoes were in.

"What are you doing?" he asks, confused and walking over to watch him

The small dragon finishes stuffing the blanket in the crate before changing back into his human form, the soft glow casting mini shadows before quickly fading.

"Duh, isn't it obvious? It's a nest," the dragon boy replies, looking at Antonio with an exasperated look.

"Didn't you learn anything about dragons?" he huffs softly before hoping into the crate, turning around a few times, the action looking funny in human form, before laying down, curling up.

Antonio blinks and furrows his brows in confusion.

"No, no one knows anything about dragons, they're all dead" he says without thinking

The dragon boy lifts his head, looking at Antonio in both surprise and confusion.

"No they're not." He says with a shake of his head. "Dragons can't be all dead...you just probably haven't seen one..."

"No, dragons are basically a myth, no one believes in them" he pauses "There may be books but they are really old and almost impossible to find"

He falls silent then, looks at Antonio in disbelief. And then his gaze flits away and falls to the ground. He stretches out his wings slightly, covering himself as he curls tightly in a ball on his side. He can't believe that he was the last...he can't be the last. There has to be other dragons...is he all alone?

Antonio's eyes widen and he rushes to kneel beside the crate.

"Ah, no, don't cry, I'm sure there are other dragons we just have to find them"

"Leave me alone." the dragon creature snaps immediately, muffled by his wings and the blanket.

He sniffles softly, curling his tail tighter around himself.

"And I'm not crying, you stupid jerk bastard." he adds though it is quite obvious that he is lying.

Antonio frowns sadly, feeling like he is going to cry himself. He reaches into the crate and lifts the dragon boy out. He pulls him close and cradles him against his chest.

"Sh, it's alright" he whispers in a soothing tone

When he feels the hands grabbing him, he almost lashes out but he doesn't, being picked up and cradled to Antonio's chest. He buries his face into the clothing over the male's chest, holding tightly to Antonio.

Antonio smiles as strokes his hair and gently he rocks the boy in his arms. An image of his mother doing the same when he was young comes to mind.

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings" He whispers

The small boy, on the other hand, has no memories of being coddled like this. He remembers seeing it when Antonio first touched him, along with a lot of other memories that the human had but no memories of his own. He may have felt a warm curling around his containment when he was still in his egg, but he doesn't remember.

"You didn't hurt my feelings, stupid." he mumbles softly, his wings shifting on his back, tucking in a bit closer.

Antonio chuckles.

"I may not know what it's like to be the last of my kin but I can guess it is pretty lonely"

He lifts him so he is holding up by his armpits and looks into his eyes. He gives him a warm smile.

"I know I can't fill the hole where family should be but maybe we can be friends, I will do everything I can to make you happy"

The small dragon boy is silent for a few moments, staring at Antonio with red-rimmed hazel eyes. He doesn't understand how a human can be so promising like that, seeming so kind. And he doesn't want to be alone so he glances away as he murmurs softly.

"…Yeah...we can be friends..."

Antonio grins widely and pulls him into a hug.

"Yay!" he cheers

The boy stiffens at the hug, allowing it for a few moments before pushing at Antonio.

"Okay, okay; that's enough. You're really clingy."

Antonio pouts.

"I'm not clingy, I'm affectionate" his pout turns into a grin "Now that I think of it I don't know your name"

The dragon boy falls silent then, his tail flicking behind him once.

"...I don't have one."

Antonio frowns and puts him down.

"We can't have that, I need to give you one"

"Just don't make it stupid." The dragon boy huffs softly, looking up at Antonio. In truth, he's actually very excited to get a name.

Antonio grins and nods then his face scrunches in concentration.

"Well you don't sound Spanish but close, definitely not Portuguese, at least I hope not, Italian maybe"

He looks at the boy to see which one he likes.

The dragon boy listens quietly, not understanding what those human words mean. But when Antonio looks at him, he manages a quick.

"I like the last one."

"Italian it is~" he chirps

He taps his chin trying to think of a name.

"I don't know many Italian names, how about Feliciano?"

He huffs softly, shaking his head. It sounds too girlish to him. And it just doesn't feel like a real fit for him.

Antonio frowns slightly.

"Hm, how about Lovino?" he asks

The dragon boy tilts his head slightly, thinking for a moment before giving a nod.

"It's better than Feliciano."

Antonio grins widely and claps his hands.

"So your name is now Lovino" he pulls the boy into a hug "And I can call you Lovi too"

Lovino sighs softly as he's hugged again.

"More hugs?" he questions with a slight roll of his eyes.

Despite his demeanor, he actually doesn't mind the hugs.

"Si, I love hugging"

He pulls away and looks down at the boy.

"We should also get you some new clothes" he says pinching the shirt and giving it a light tug

"My clothes are fine," Lovino protests, looking over his clothes. He glances over them once more before giving a soft huff. "I suppose they're a bit dirty..."

"Si, and I have just the thing for you" Antonio says standing

"You get undressed, I'll be right back"

Lovino huffs softly before starting to undress.

Antonio leaves his room and smiles when he sees his mother in the garden. He quickly goes to another room and opens the door then to a chest. He opens it and takes out some clothing before closing it and running out of the room and back to his own.

"I have it and I know you will Love it"

"You're so sure of yourself." Lovino huffs softly, holding out his hands for the clothes.

Antonio holds it out with a grin.

In his hands is a long sleeve red maid dress with a white frilly apron and white headband.

"You can use the headband to cover your ears and you can hide your tail under the skirt"

"Th-That is what females wear!" Lovino stammers, looking at the clothing that Antonio is holding up

"I know but it will look so cute on you, please try it"

He sticks his bottom lip out in a pout.

Lovino frowns, his cheeks turning slightly red in embarrassment.

"Fine." He snaps, snatching the clothes away from Antonio.

He pulls the clothes on, his cheeks darkening with each passing moment.

"There, you jerk bastard." He mumbles as he adjusts the head covering so it hides his ears. He would have to keep his teeth hidden most of the time...

Antonio squeals and picks Lovino up, spinning him around and hugging him tightly.

"You look so cute~" he cries

Loving yelps in surprise, his blush darkening as he starts to whack Antonio with his hands and tail.

"Put me down! Leggo! Jerk bastard!"

Antonio looks at Lovino starry eyed.

"You look like a tomato" he says poking his cheek

"Leggo!" Lovino fumes, swatting at the larger male again. "Put me down!"

Antonio laughs and sits down on the bed.

"I'm still having a hard time believing you are a dragon"

"Just wait till I get bigger." Lovino says, puffing his chest up slightly, a slight smirk coming to his face when he thinks of how awesome that will be.

"When will you get bigger, I know dragons age differently than humans but that's all know?" Antonio says

"Usually we age when our training is complete." He responds, flicking his tail

"Training? How do I do that?" Antonio asks confused

Lovino rolls his eyes, looking at Antonio.

"We've got a long way to go." He sighs softly before answering the other male's question. "Training is learning how to control skills. Flying, basic defense, and learning how to control one's power. My power is fire. Those are the three things I need to learn. You, on the other hand, need to learn about handling a dragon and magic. Then we both need to cooperatively learn how to connect with each other." He huffs softly, trying to remember if there was anything else. "I suggest finding any books that give you information on dragons or magic."

"Eh, that's so much to learn, my head hurts just thinking about it" Antonio whines "I have to find books on dragons and magic, the likelihood of that is very slim, as I said before we know little to nothing about dragons and anyone who knew anything is long gone"

"You just gotta know where to look." Lovino says with a flick of his tail. "Information can't be completely removed."

Antonio's face scrunches in concentration.

"Hm, I think I know someone who might have something on dragons but he and I aren't on the best terms" Antonio says

"Why not?" Lovino questions, looking at the other male

"Um, not sure but its s rivalry that has lasted since we were kids, last time I saw him I was making a delivery and he tried to strangle me" Antonio sighs "I doubt he will want to help me"

Lovino looks at Antonio with a confused expression before mumbling.

Humans are weird..."

Antonio hums

"You could say that" he pauses as he thinks "I want to try going to him despite the risk"

He looks at the crate.

"However I need to hide you and I know just the place"

Lovino glances at the crate as well, frowning slightly.

"Okay, I'll hide but just don't jostle me around too much."

Antonio grins. He stands and takes the blanket out before gently placing the dragon boy in the crate. He grabs the lid from the window and places it on top. He picks it up and walks to the door, mumbling apologies as he opens the door and walks out. He walks to the front of the house but stops when he sees his mother in the front garden.

'Oh no, I need to think of an excuse' just thinking this makes Antonio sad since he doesn't like lying to his mother

Lovino listens quietly, curled up in the crate. He is curious of where they're going and can't help but to feel a bit wary, especially since he now knows that's he's supposedly the only dragon. He can only hope that Antonio wouldn't sell him off.

Antonio watches and waits until his mother walks around the house before heading outside. He sends Lovino a quick apology then takes off down the road, the crate bouncing in his arms.

Lovino gives soft yelps every so often, sliding around in the crate in an uncomfortable fashion.

Antonio slows to a walk when he reaches town. He pants while he scans the croup for a particular person. It doesn't take long to spot a mess of blond hair and he trots over.

"Arthuro" he calls

Immediately the person spins around, glaring at him with forest green eyes.

"That's not my name" he snaps

"Si, si, I need your help"

Arthur's glare hardens.

"Why should I help you?" he asks warily

"Uh..." Antonio trails off 'Damn I didn't think of anything'

Lovino stays absolutely silent when he hears the noise of people. Immediately rushes of scents wash over him. There's so many people...he can tell. The darkness of the crate doesn't help his confused senses. Presently all he wants to do is bust out of the confining crate and get away from all these noises and scents. His body trembles greatly and he's very afraid at this point.

"I am curious" he blurts suddenly "You're always talking about magic and stuff and now I want to find out more"

"Why the sudden interest?" Arthur asks

"I had a um what is it an er epiphany" Antonio grins, hoping Arthur will believe him

Arthur glares more. Antonio keeps the grins as Arthur ponder what to do.

"Fine, I will teach you, but if at any time I sense you losing interest I will kick you out, understood?"

Antonio nods vigorously, ginning wider.

"Si, I understand, I will do my best"

Arthur huffs and turns and walks away, Antonio following behind.

Lovino is relieved when they start moving again, eager to get out of this place. He listens still even though everything is so loud and noisy to him.

"So, what in the crate?" Arthur asks

Antonio freezes.

"U-Um, uh... stuff" Antonio stutters

Arthur rolls his eyes.

"You're a horrible liar"

"Am not" Antonio retorts

Arthur stops in front of the door to the local library. He turns to Antonio with a serious expression on his face.

"If you want to go any further you need to tell me"

Antonio bites his lip.

'I can't tell him but he is the only one who can help me'

"Alright fine, but we have to go somewhere where it's just the two of us and there is no chance of anyone seeing us" he says

Arthur nods.

"Alright, come with me" Arthur says entering the store

Lovino tenses when he hears the exchange, mentally cursing Antonio. Great. He hoped this Arthur guy is trustworthy...

Antonio follows Arthur through the library. After ascending a set of stairs Arthur stops in front of a door and pulls out a key then unlocks the door.

"In here" Arthur says, gesturing him to enter

Antonio walks in the room and looks around. There is a desk across from the door with a window to one side and a large bookcase on both sides of the room. He walks to the desk and places the crate on it. Arthur comes to stand next to him.

"Alright, you have to promise not to tell ANYONE what I am about to show you" Antonio says in a stern voice

"I won't tell a soul" Arthur says

Antonio nods and looks down at the crate. He slowly takes the lid off, hoping the little dragon won't hate him.

Lovino cautiously pokes his head out of the crate when the top is removed. He curiously looks at this 'Arthur', quietly observing the blond. He doesn't say anything, glancing back at Antonio.

Arthur stares down at Lovino.

"A boy" Arthur turns to Antonio "You were keeping a boy in a crate"

"He's not just a boy he-" Antonio picks Lovino up and removes the headband, revealing his ears "See"

Arthur leans close to Lovino's face.

"Hm, I didn't know dragons could become human" he looks up at Antonio "How do I know this isn't some trick"

"You're a stupid human!" Lovino protests, glaring at Arthur. "I'll show you."

He declares before his body starts to glow slightly, morphing into something smaller and more serpent-like. The small dragon is sitting in the crate when the glow dies and he climbs out of the crate, landing on the desk. He puffs out his chest, glaring proudly up at the blond.

Arthur blinks in disbelief, staring at the small dragon. He is at a loss for words. He looks at Antonio who is waiting for the Britton to say something. Arthur runs a hand through his hair and sighs.

"What do you need help with?"

Antonio grins widely.

"I want to help Lovi grow" he answers

"Lovi?"

"His name is Lovino but Lovi sounds cuter"

"Right... So you want to learn magic, are you sure you can even do it?" Arthur asks

Antonio blinks. He hadn't thought of that.

"I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me" he says

Arthur sighs.

"Alright but before I teach you magic I have to teach you about dragons and how to take care of one, are you willing to listen?"

"Si, I don't want him to turn out like my cat" Antonio says

"Right..." Arthur says, knowing the full story

Lovino looks at Antonio with wide eyes, wondering what had happened to the cat. Oh, great. Good thing he could change into a human form...that might save his life. With a soft snort, the dragon walks to the edge of the desk, hopping down from it, stretching out his wings, starting to walk around.

"Ah Lovi, be careful" Antonio says, following him

Arthur sighs. He walks over to one of the bookshelves and looks thought the books. He pulls out four big books and carries them back to the desk.

"Antonio" he calls

Antonio looks up from his kneeling position. He stands and walks over to Arthur.

"Si?"

"See these books?" Arthur asks patting them and Antonio nods

"Good, I want you to read them and learn everything in them" Arthur says

"Wha, but that will take forever" Antonio whines

"Doesn't matter, you need to know about dragons before you can take care of one, and while you are learning Lovino will stay with me"

Antonio's whining stops.

Lovino gives a snort of laughter when he sees the stack of books that Antonio is tasked with reading. He puffs out his wings, continuing to walk around the room, looking around. He's not too happy with staying with Arthur but he knows that the blond human is right. Antonio shouldn't be taking care of him until he knows what he is doing. Lovino isn't exactly keen on ending up like Antonio's cat.

"No! He's my dragon I hatched him!" Antonio protests

"I know but he can't stay with you until you understand what he is and how much power both he you have!" Arthur retorts

Antonio sputters, trying to think of a comeback. He sighs sadly knowing there is nothing he can say to change Arthur's mind.

"Can I at least come to visit?" he asks in a quiet voice

"Of course but studying is your main focus and I will give you a key to this room"

Antonio nods and walks over to the desk, sitting at it. He pulls the first book forward and starts reading it. Arthur watches him before turning to Lovino.

"Come here Lovino, let's leave him in peace" He says guesting to the door "We can start by introducing you to people"

He takes the key out of his pocket and places it on the desk where Antonio can see it.

Lovino heads back to Arthur when the blond calls for him, changing back into his human form. He quickly grabs the headband from the crate, adjusting all of his clothes to make sure that they covered his dragon parts. He walks over to Arthur, giving soft grumbles about stupid dresses.

Arthur opens the door and leads Lovino out then locks the door behind him. He takes Lovino's hand and starts to lead him out of the library.

"You don't need to hold my hand." Lovino grumbles, following Arthur.

He's still a bit skeptical of this man and each moment that he's away from Antonio, he feels a bit uneasy. This is the first time he's around people without the one who hatched him.

"I don't want you to get hurt or lost" He looks down at Lovino "I know it's hard being away from Antonio but you need to get used to it since he has to keep you hidden and he can't bring you everywhere"

He walks out the door and toward the busy street.

"I also know you don't trust me much and I will admit I don't care for Antonio, I am doing this so you can grow up strong"

"Why do you care so much about me growing up?" Lovino questions.

He hesitates a little when he sees the busy street. It's too loud for his comfort and there's too many smells. But he's determined to show that he's not weak. So he lifts his head a bit higher, staying by Arthur's side.

"Because it will give people hope" Arthur sighs "Times right now aren't the best and rumors of our king having a dragon are floating around aren't helping"

"...Humans are weird creatures..." Lovino murmurs softly, thinking Arthur's words over

"I know, you're not the first to say that"

Arthur takes the dragon boy to the side where they are least likely to be heard.

"Just so you know there are other creatures like you around here but they are better at hiding it" he says taping the headband with the second part of his sentence

Lovino's eyes widen when he sees Arthur did that, his jaw parting in surprise.

"Th-there's more?" he breaks off, shock rendering him mostly speechless for a few moments.

Arthur smiles.

"Indeed, elves and fairies are the main ones but there are others too, there is a lot of magic here, people just don't see it or don't want to because it scares them"

Arthur stops and looks around to make sure no one is listening. He bends down to Lovino's eye level with a smile on his face.

"There are also mages, masters of magic whose job it is to teach others about magic"

"You're a mage," Lovino states plainly, looking up at the taller male.

He keeps his voice quiet because he knows of the king's soldiers and he knows that it would be a certain death for the blond if he were caught...especially if they find out Lovino is a dragon.

"Exactly" Arthur says, patting him on the head

He stand up and makes sure he has a good hold on Lovino's hand.

"Alright, let's get back to Antonio and see how he is doing"

Lovino nods, grasping Arthur's hand as well.

The two walk back to the library where they left Antonio. Upon entering the room they find him with his head down on his crossed arms on the desk, his breath even as he sleeps. Arthur sighs and walks over to him. He moves the book which he is surprised Antonio got half way through and shakes his shoulder. Antonio mumbles something and Arthur shakes harder.

"Wake up you git" he says annoyed

Antonio blinks his eyes open and looks up at Arthur sleepily.

"You should get home, I'm sure your mother is worried about you"

Antonio's eyes widen and he shoots up. He runs around the desk and looks down at Lovino.

"Come on Lovi, let's go" he says

"Lovino is staying with me remember"

Antonio blinks confused before his eyes widen. He looks down sadly.

"Oh..."

Arthur takes the key and walks over to him. He holds it out to him.

"Don't worry, you can come by anytime to see him" Arthur says with a smile

Antonio nods and takes the key. He bends down to Lovino and gives him a quick kiss on the forehead before walking out.

"Don't get yourself hurt while I'm gone, you jerk bastard." Lovino huffs softly, looking up at Antonio with a slight frown.

In all honesty, he's scared. He's scared of being without the taller male, even if it is just for a short while.

"I won't" he calls back

Just as he says this he trips and falls to the floor. This makes Arthur sigh.

"Pay attention to where you're going git" he scolds

"Si, si, Lo siento"

After that Antonio collects himself and runs back through the library. Arthur looks down at Lovino.

"You should get some rest, we will start your training tomorrow"

Lovino nods before changing into his dragon form, climbing up on the desk with a bit of difficulty, his wings flapping slightly to get him a bit of leverage as well as his claws scratching on the surface. He manages to get up after a bit of struggling, walking over to the crate from earlier.

Arthur takes note that flying is one of the things they need to work on.

"I have a bed for you if you want it"

Lovino shakes his head, climbing into his crate that he was temporarily calling his nest. He curls up in a small ball, giving a content sigh.

"Alright, good night" Arthur says

He turns off the light and closes the door, locking it. He walks a few doors down and opens the door to a room with a small bed a large bookcase and a desk with a chair. He changes into his pajamas and crawls into the bed.

'Training those two is going to be interesting' he thinks, closing his eyes and falling asleep

Antonio manages to get home unseen by his mother. Upon entering his room he flops down onto his bed, the words from the book flowing through his head.

'Who knew dragons were so much work'

He doesn't move when his door opens.

"Antonio, it's time for dinner" his mother says

Antonio turns and looks at her with tired eyes.

"Lo siento mamá, I went out today and I am tired now" he says in a low voice

"Alright, good night sweetie" she says closing the door

Antonio watches his mother leave before stripping down to his boxers and crawling into bed.

'I hope this training doesn't go to bad' he thinks before quickly falling asleep

Lovino falls into a dreamless slumber, tail curled around himself to keep him secure. He doesn't know what lies in store for him the next day but he's ready to face it.


End file.
